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- Jun 3, 2010
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Winter day shelter. Deer meat and Hemlock tea.
During longer outings I like to practice skills. This time I wanted to setup a winter day camp in the snow using kit which I normally pack inside my day pack. The shelter items on hand were 550 paracord that I have setup for a ridgeline with two sliding friction knots, Mylar blanket, Golite ponch, duct tape rolled on a card and a closed cell pad. During summer I don't dayhike with one but once snow is on the deck you can bet a pad will be strapped to my day pack.
The first job was to gather wood and clear away the snow. We could have floated the camp but given the small area simply kicked it away. A poncho makes for a small lean-to. We pitched the poncho accounting for the wind and decided to use hemlock boughs and snow to cover the large gap on the back which wind would blow under. This was done by sticking the boughs into piled up snow then tossing more but not too much snow on the boughs.
This probably added some extra R value for the lower 3rd of the tarp as well.
Gap almost covered. Mylar hung under the tarp. I used the duct tape to make grommets but there are methods for tie-offs which doesn't require tape.
Not too bad granted we aren't talking about rocket science here.
The Mylar did a good job at reflecting the fire's heat.
Time for lunch. The deer meat.
Cooked on Beach sticks with water being boiled for Hemlock tea.
The venison cooked on a stick over the coals turned out great but then again isn't everything better when cold and tired? The Hemlock tea worked out as well. I have been adding more Hemlock and allowing the water to cool off a second before adding the needles. Then it steeps for 5 minutes. Darn near perfect IMHO. For those just starting out making conifer tea my advice is NOT to boil the water with the needles. This make is taste like turpentine. The needles will turn a bit yellow after steeping in hot water.
It was so warm under the tarp no one wanted to venture back out into the cold to the main camp but it was getting dark.
Our Hemlock bough back wall.
All packed up and ready to return to camp.
It got cold and windy that night. If forced to stay the sides could have been at least partially covered fast or more if time allowed using the same method as the back. More firewood would have been needed for sure. Probably would have added boughs under the open cell pad for further insulation from the ground. As stated nothing earth shattering but IMHO workable using things packed inside a day kit.
Here is a video of the process.
[video=youtube;gmWByr2A_YE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmWByr2A_YE[/video]
During longer outings I like to practice skills. This time I wanted to setup a winter day camp in the snow using kit which I normally pack inside my day pack. The shelter items on hand were 550 paracord that I have setup for a ridgeline with two sliding friction knots, Mylar blanket, Golite ponch, duct tape rolled on a card and a closed cell pad. During summer I don't dayhike with one but once snow is on the deck you can bet a pad will be strapped to my day pack.
The first job was to gather wood and clear away the snow. We could have floated the camp but given the small area simply kicked it away. A poncho makes for a small lean-to. We pitched the poncho accounting for the wind and decided to use hemlock boughs and snow to cover the large gap on the back which wind would blow under. This was done by sticking the boughs into piled up snow then tossing more but not too much snow on the boughs.
This probably added some extra R value for the lower 3rd of the tarp as well.
Gap almost covered. Mylar hung under the tarp. I used the duct tape to make grommets but there are methods for tie-offs which doesn't require tape.
Not too bad granted we aren't talking about rocket science here.
The Mylar did a good job at reflecting the fire's heat.
Time for lunch. The deer meat.
Cooked on Beach sticks with water being boiled for Hemlock tea.
The venison cooked on a stick over the coals turned out great but then again isn't everything better when cold and tired? The Hemlock tea worked out as well. I have been adding more Hemlock and allowing the water to cool off a second before adding the needles. Then it steeps for 5 minutes. Darn near perfect IMHO. For those just starting out making conifer tea my advice is NOT to boil the water with the needles. This make is taste like turpentine. The needles will turn a bit yellow after steeping in hot water.
It was so warm under the tarp no one wanted to venture back out into the cold to the main camp but it was getting dark.
Our Hemlock bough back wall.
All packed up and ready to return to camp.
It got cold and windy that night. If forced to stay the sides could have been at least partially covered fast or more if time allowed using the same method as the back. More firewood would have been needed for sure. Probably would have added boughs under the open cell pad for further insulation from the ground. As stated nothing earth shattering but IMHO workable using things packed inside a day kit.
Here is a video of the process.
[video=youtube;gmWByr2A_YE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmWByr2A_YE[/video]
